Tape-applying apparatus and method



April 22, 1969 A. s. TAYLOR ETAL 35439588 TAPE-APPLYING APPARATUS AND METHOD Sheet Filed Aug. 24, 1966 A ril 22, 1969 A. s. TAYLOR ETAL 3,439,538

TAPE-APPLYING APPARATUS AND METHOD v Filed Aug. 24, 1966 Sheet 3 of 4 p 1969 A. s. TAYLOR ETAL 3,439,588

TAPE-APPLYING APPARATUS AND METHOD Filed Aug. 24, 1966 Sheet 3 of 4 Q86 4 80 I08 74 m m A ril 22, 1969 A. s. TAYLOR ETAL 3,439,583

' TAPE-AiPLYING APPARATUS AND METHOD I Filed Aug. 24, 1966 Sheet 4 of 4 United States Patent 3,439,588 TAPE-APPLYING APPARATUS AND METHOD Arthur S. Taylor, Spring Valley, and Ellsworth R. Sandhage, Pearl River, N.Y., assignors to American Cyanamid Company, Stamford, Conn.

Filed Aug. 24, 1966, Ser. No. 574,723 Int. Cl. B31!) 1/72, /60; B65h 35/10 US. Cl. 9336.9 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The apparatus and method disclosed are for metering and applying tape to articles. In the apparatus, tape is fed to the periphery of a rotatable polygonal wheel which meters the tape on the edge surfaces thereof and orients the tape for application. The tape is cut on the corners of the polygonal wheel and then transferred by a stamping or reciprocal movement which brings the tape into contact with an article. The above apparatus may be used alone or in combination with other apparatus. It is disclosed in combination with a box former which feeds blanks through the tape applying apparatus and then folds the blanks into box forms secured by the tape.

This invention relates to an apparatus and method for metering out measured portions of adhesive tape and securing them to an article. More particularly and as a specific embodiment, it relates to a paperboard container forming machine incorporating the above apparatus and method.

Paperboard containers are used in great numbers, particularly by the pharmaceutical industry, as the outer package for products such as medicinal preparations in bottles or tubes. These containers are normally made from pre-scored paperboard blanks which are folded into tubular form, secured with liquid adhesive, and then shipped in a flattened condition for final assembly just prior to use.

Typical prior art machines for forming paperboard containers are disclosed in US. Patent Nos. 2,192,950 and 2,589,944. These machines either use paperboard blanks to which a dried thermoplastic adhesive has previously been applied, or a wet liquid adhesive is applied to the blank during processing. Thus, either type of machine requires the use of complex adhesive applying and drying apparatus during the course of container manufacture.

Where wet liquid adhesive machines are used, considerable splashing and dripping occurs, necessitating frequent cleaning with attendant loss of production time. Moreover, containers made with wet adhesive must :be given time to dry suificiently to be stacked or stored without sticking together. Thus, prior art machines have been eighteen to twenty-four feet in length to provide sufiicient drying time for typical containers used for pharmaceuticals or cosmetics. This has increased the time required to process each container and has complicated the design of production line facilities.

The above-mentioned problems, among others, can be eliminated by the substitution of adhesive tape for the adhesives used in the prior art, but the very nature of adhesive tape has, heretofore, made its use in automated apparatus impractical. The adhesive quality of such tape makes difficult the metering-Out and dispensing thereof in any type of continuous operation.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for metering and securing adhesive tape to an article.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus and method of the above character for use in forming containers from flat container blanks.

Patented Apr. 22, 1969 Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus and method of the above character which permit rapid and continuous production of containers.

A further object is to provide an apparatus of the above character which is small and compact in design.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus and method of the above character which are economical, and clean and reliable in use.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the several steps and the relation of one or more of such steps with respect to each of the others, and the apparatus embodying features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts which are adapted to effect such steps, all as exemplified in the following detailed disclosure, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view of the apparatus of the invention;

FIGURES 2-4 are enlarged front elevation views of the tape applicator of the invention;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view through the tape applicator taken along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 6 is a detailed elevation view of the back of the tape applicator;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged view of an alternate embodiment of the tape applicator; and

FIGURES 8-14 are greatly enlarged partial crosssectional views of the apparatus taken at points 8-14 of FIGURE 1 and illustrating a container in various stages of folding.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Generally, our apparatus and method have particular application in the metering and dispensing of doublefaced, pressure-sensitive tape. However, as used herein in the specification and claims, the term adhesive tape" refers to pressure-sensitive, heat-sensitive, or similar tapes of either the doubleor single-faced variety.

Referring to FIGURE 1, our paperboard container forming machine comprises a magazine section shown generally at 16 for holding and delivering a supply of pre-creased paperboard blanks 18. A suction carrier 20 picks up each blank 18 and positions it under a tape applicator shown generally at 22, where a square tape wheel 26 is actuated in a manner more fully described hereinbelow to apply a strip of tape cut from tape web 24 to the flap 28 of each blank 18. After application of the tape, each blank 18 is picked up by a second suction carrier 30 and transferred to a box former shown generally at 32 wherein two pairs of camming members 34, 35 gradually fold each blank 18 on its creases into a flattened, tubular form. From the box former 32, the folded blank 18 is fed between a pair of pressure rollers 36, 38, which seal the tape-carrying flap 28 to a mating edge surface 40 of each blank 18 to produce a container ready for use when squared from its flattened form in final assembly.

Specifically, with reference to FIGURE 1, the suction carriers 20 and 30, respectively, comprise a flared tube 42, 44 connected to a vacuum source (not shown) by hose members 46 and 48. The tubes 42, 44 are respectively mounted in and reciprocated vertically by pneumatic cylinders 50 and 52 to pick up the container blanks 18. Both pneumatic cylinders 50, '52 are mounted on a carriage 54 which is slidably suspended from rail 56, 58 attached to the apparatus frame 60. The carriers 20, 30

3 are positioned on carriage 54 so as to straddle the tape applicator 22.

Carriage 54 is reciprocated in the direction of the arrows in FIGURE 1 by the movement of a piston 62 which is actuated by a pneumatic cylinder 64 at one end and fixed at the other end to a yoke 66 attached to carriage 54. It can be seen that as carriage 54 is reciprocated, suction carriers 20, 30 will alternately be positioned directly in front of tape applicator 22.

Tape applicator 22 is positioned below carriage 54 between suction carriers 20, 30 as described hereinabove. A web of double-faced, pressure-sensitive tape 24 is fed to tape applicator 22 from a tape roll 41.

More particularly, and with reference to FIGURES 2S, tape applicator 22 comprises a square tape wheel 26 rotatably mounted on a shaft 68 journaled to block 70. The corners 72 of tape wheel 26 should be sharp and wearresistant for reasons which will be clear from the discussion below. Preferably, corners 72 are formed with case-hardened steel inserts secured to tape wheel 26. However, if the tape wheel 26 is made of a suitable grade of steel, the corners thereof may be directly case-hardened to produce the same result.

The edge surfaces 74 of tape wheel 26 should be less adherent to pressure-sensitive tape than is the surface to which the tape is applied. Preferably, edge surfaces 74 are formed of polytetrafiuoroethylene in the form of inserts fastened to the periphery of tape wheel 26 by screws or other appropriate means. Alternatively, the periphery of tape wheel 26 may be coated with polytetrafiuoroethylene, or tape wheel 26 itself may be formed from a block of polytetrafiuoroethylene. Materials other than polytetrafiuoroethylene having similar low adhesion to pressure-sensitive tape may also be used for edge surfaces 74.

Block 70 is vertically slidably mounted in upright channel members 76 and 78 which are fastened to apparatus frame 60. A pneumatic cylinder 80 (FIGURE 1) fastened to apparatus frame 60 at one end and secured to block 70 at the other end by a yoke 82, vertically reciprocates block 70 and thus tape wheel 26 between an upper position (FIGURE 2) and a lower position (FIGURE 4).

A web of double-faced, pressure-sensitive tape 24 is fed from tape roll 41 around idler roll 84 and onto the perphery of tape wheel 26. As tape wheel 26 is rotated in a clockwise direction (FIGURES 23), tape web 24 is adhesively wrapped around the periphery and metered into predetermined lengths corresponding to the length of the edge surfaces 74.

Specifically, tape wheel 26 is rotated in response to the reciprocal movement of carriage 54. A pin 86 protrudes from the face of tape wheel 26 adjacent each corner 72 thereof. As shown in FIGURE 3, a pawl 88 is pivotally suspended from carriage 54 on flange 90 with its free end 92 in line with the pin 86 adjacent the upper left-hand corner of tape wheel 26. A spring 94 fastened to carriage 54 biases pawl 88 away from carriage 54 in a clockwise direction and against a stop 96.

As carriage 54 reciprocates from left to right as shown by the arrow in FIGURE 3, the free end 92 of pawl 88 pushes against pin 86 causing tape wheel 26 to rotate in a clockwise direction. As tape wheel 26 rotates, tape web 24 is drawn onto one edge surface 74 and over the next corner 72 in order of rotation.

A detent assembly 98 (FIGURE is positioned behind block 70 and opposite tape wheel 26. As shown more clearly in FIGURE 6, it comprises a detent block 100 journaled to shaft 68. An L-shaped bar 102 is pivotally mounted to channel member 76 and biased into contact with the periphery of block 100 by a leaf spring 104 which is fastened to channel member 76. The detent assembly 98 serves to index tape wheel 26 as it rotaes so that one edge surface 74 is held parallel to the path of movement of the container blanks 18 (FIGURE 1). Detent assembly 98 also prevents accidental rotation of tape wheel 26 between reciprocations of carriage 54.

As is shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, as tape wheel 26 rotates, each corner 72 contacts a pressure wheel 106. The interaction of each sharp corner 72 with pressure wheel 106 severs the tape 24 overlying that corner to produce a separate strip of tape 108 on the preceding edge surface 74.

Pressure wheel 106, which is preferably fromed of a hard meterial such as steel, is rotatably mounted on a first arm 110 which in turn is pivotally mounted on a second arm 112 fastened to block 70. A spiring 114 biases the two arms 110, 112 toward each other, but movement is limited by a stop nut 116 adjustably threaded to rod 118. Rod 118 is fastened to a stud 120 on arm 112 and slidably received in the bore of a corresponding stud 122 on arm 110. by modifying the extension of spring 114 with nut 123, and the position of stop nut 116 on rod 118, pressure wheel 106 can be adjusted to apply sufficient pressure to sever the tape overlying each corner 72 of the rotating tape wheel 26.

It can thus be seen that when tape wheel 26 is reciprocated vertically by pneumatic cylinder 80 (FIGURE 1) to its lower position shown in FIGURE 4, a strip of tape 108 on bottom edge surface 74 will be brought into adhesive contact with a container blank 18 positioned thereunder. Due to the low adhesion between tape 108 and the polytetrafluoroethylene edge surfaces 74, tape 108 will transfer to container blank 18 upon reciprocation of tape wheel 26 to its upper position (FIGURE 2).

Another means for cutting the tape overlying a corner of tape wheel 26 is shown in FIGURE 7. A reciprocal plunger 124 is actuated by a solenoid 126 mounted to the apparatus frame 60 adjacent one corner 72 of tape wheel 26. Upon energization of solenoid 126, plunger 124 reciprocates against the bias of spring 128 towards sharp corner 72. The blow delivered to corner 72 by the end 129 of plunger 124 severs the tape to produce a tape strip 108 on the preceding edge surface 74.

While a specific embodiment of the tape applicator 22 has been shown in combination with a container forming apparatus, the tape applicator 22 can be used either alone or in combination with other similar machinery.

We have also found that the tape applicator 22 can be readily modified to handle tape other than the doublefaced, pressure-sensitive type. For example, where either single-faced, pressureor heat-sensitive tape is to be used, tape wheel 26 can be made hollow and attached to a vacuum source. Vents along the edge surfaces 74 communicating with the interior will then serve to hold the non-treated side of the single-faced tape to tape wheel 26.

Where double-faced, heat-sensitive tape is to be used, the edge surfaces 74 can be heated to a temperature sufficient to cause the tape to become tacky and lightly adhere thereto. The surface of the work to which the tape is to be applied will then be heated to a temperature suificient to cause strong adhesion. Thus, the desired transfer of tape to the work will occur upon reciprocation of tape wheel 26.

Although a square tape wheel 26 has been shown as the preferred embodiment, it will be understood that several other polygonal shapes can also be used. The edge surfaces of the tape wheel may be of equal length as shown; they may also vary in length as, for example, where a series of different lengths of tape are to be applied to succeeding articles or even to different areas of a single articles rotated under the tape wheel. Also, as used herein, the term polygonal wheel is not to be limited to a wheel with planar edge surfaces, as it can be seen that a wheel with convex edge surfaces can be used with appropriately shaped Work.

Referring again to FIGURE 1, in addition to the tape applicator 22, the apparatus of the invention includes a box former shown generally at 32. A conveyor 130 comprising two continuous belts 132, 134 supported on pulleys 136 and 138, feeds under two pairs of overhead rollers 140, 142 as shown in FIGURES 8 and 9. Spaced on either side of rollers 140, 142 andextending beyond the reach of conveyor 130, are a pair of camming members 34a and 34b which vary in cross section along their length as shown in FIGURES 8-10.

A second pair of camming members 35a, 35b are slightly spaced from and coaxial with camming members 34a and 34b. Camming members 35a and 35b vary in cross section along their length as shown in FIGURES 11-14.

A longitudinally tapered, planar support shoe 144 (shown in FIGURES 10-14 in cross section) extends from the end of conveyor 130 and on a level with the upper surface thereof between camming member pairs 34 and 35.

Roller pairs 146 and 148 overly the end of the support shoe 144 closest to conveyor 130 as shown in FIGURES 1 and 10. Single rollers 150-158 overly the remainder of the length of support shoe 144 as shown in FIGUR'ES 11-14.

Conveyor 130 and all of the rollers can be driven by means of a single motor using a chain or similar drive, as will be obvious to one skilled in the art.

A pair of cooperating pressure rollers 36 and 38 (FIGURE 1) are positioned at the far end of support shoe 144; the nip 160 thereof being approximately level with the upper surface 162 (FIGURE 14) of support shoe 144.

SEQUENCE OF OPERATION Referring again to FIGURE 1, pneumatic cylinders 50, 52, 64, and 80 which, respectively, actuate suction carriers and 30, carriage 54, and tape wheel 26, are connected by means of their outlets to a pressure source (not shown). Their sequence of operation may be controlled in the following manner.

Solenoid-actuated valves are placed in the lines connecting the outlets of pneumatic cylinders 50, 52, 64, and 80 to the pressure source. The valves in turn are connected through switches to an electrical power source. The opening and closing of the switches is controlled by a cam shaft constructed to actuate the switches in a predetermined sequence corresponding to the desired sequence of operation of pneumatic cylinders 50, 52, 64, and 80.

The preferred sequence of operation of our apparatus is as follows. Referring to FIGURE 1, pneumatic cylinder 50 is actuated to reciprocate flared tube 42 and pick up a paperboard blank 18. Pneumatic cylinder 64 is then actuated to reciprocate carriage 54 to the left to place blank 18 under tape wheel 26. It can be seen that at the same time, any previous blank under tape wheel 26 may be picked up by suction carrier 30 and carried to the left to be placed on conveyor 130 for passage through the box former 32. Pneumatic cylinder 80 is then actuated to bring tape wheel 26 to its lower position and into contact with container blank 18 (FIGURE 4) to transfer a strip of tape thereto, and then return tape wheel 26 to its upper position (FIGURE 2). Pneumatic cylinder 64 is then again actuated to reciprocate carriage 54 to the right (FIGURE 1) causing pawl 88 (FIGURE 3) to bear against pin '86 on tape wheel 26. Tape wheel 26 is thus rotated to cut a strip of tape and position it for placement on the next blank 18. Pneumatic cylinder 52 is then actuated to pick up the blank 18 having tape thereon. Upon actuation of pneumatic cylinder 64 (FIG- URE 1) to move carriage 54 to the left and begin a new cycle, taped :blank 18 is carried to conveyor 130.

Taped blank 18 moves, under the force of conveyor 130 and rollers 140 and 142, into contact with camming members 34a and 34b where bending is commenced as shown in FIGURES 8 and 9. Blank 18 is then moved by overhead rollers 146-458 along the top surfaces 162 of support shoe 144 past the remainder of camming members 34a and 34b (FIGURE 10) and fully past camming members 35a and 35b (FIGURES 11-14) until tape [flap 28 and surface 40 are juxtaposed as shown in FIGURE 14.

The folded blank is then fed between pressure rollers 36 and 38 to complete the sealing of tape flap 28 and surface 40 to produce a flattened, tubular container, which may later be squared as a carton by closure of its end flaps.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in carrying out the above method and in the constructions set forth without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus for adhering a strip of adhesive tape to an article comprising, in combination:

(A) a rotatably mounted polygonal wheel having a plurality of alternating edge surfaces and corners spaced about the periphery thereof;

(B) means for feeding a web of said tape to said periphery of said polygonal wheel;

(C) means for sequentially rotating said polygonal wheel (1) to fixedly dispose said tape web on each said edge surface and over the next said corner in order of rotation and,

(2) to position each said edge surface for placement of said tape on an article;

(D) severing means for severing said tape web on each said next corner to form a strip of tape on each preceding edge surface; and

(E) means causing relative movement of said polygonal wheel with said strip of tape thereon toward said article to bring each said strip into adherent contact with said article whereby said strip is transferred thereto.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the periphery of said polygonal wheel is square in form.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said severing means comprises a pressure wheel rotatably mounted adjacent said polygonal wheel in position to contact and apply severing pressure to said tape web on each said next corner as said polygonal wheel is rotated.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said pressure wheel is spring-biased to bear against each said next corner of said polygonal wheel as it is rotated.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said severing means comprises a reciprocally actuable plunger mounted adjacent said polygonal wheel in position to apply severing blows to the tape web on each said next corner.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 for applying tape of the double-faced, pressure-sensitive type and wherein at least the edge surfaces of said polygonal wheel are of a material less adherent to said tape than the surface of said article.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein said edge surfaces comprise polytetrafluoroethylene.

8. An apparatus for forming a box from a flat box blank comprising, in combination:

(A) means for feeding said box blank along a predetermined path;

(B) taping means adjacent said path for adhering a 7 strip of adhesive tape to a first portion of said box blank, said taping means comprising (1) a rotatably mounted polygonal wheel having a plurality of alternating edge surfaces and corners spaced about the periphery thereof;

(2) means for feeding a web of said tape to said periphery of said polygonal wheel;

(3) means for sequentially rotating said polygonal Wheel (a) to fixedly dispose said tape web on each said edge surface and over the next said corner in order of rotation and,

(b) to position each said edge surface for placement of said tape on a predetermined portion of said box blank;

(4) severing means for severing said tape web on each said next corner to form a strip of tape on each preceding edge surface; and

(5) means causing relative movement of said polygonal wheel with said strip of tape thereon toward said predetermined portion of said box blank to bring each said strip into adherent contact with said box blank whereby said strip is transferred thereto;

(C) folding means spaced from said taping means and adjacent said path for folding said box blank into the form of a box; and

(D) sealing means adjacent said path for adhering a second portion of said box blank to said strip of adhesive tape to secure said box form.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said folding means comprises at least one pair of camming members spaced about said path, said pair of camming members being configured to gradually fold the edges of said box blank until said strip of adhesive tape and said second portion are juxtaposed to produce said box form.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein said tape is of the double-faced, pressure-sensitive type and wherein said sealing means comprises a pair of pressure rolls disposed about said path in position to receive said juxtaposed first and second portions therebetween, said rolls being spaced sufiiciently close to apply adhering pressure to said portions and said tape.

11. A method for adhering a strip of adhesive tape to an article comprising:

(A) fastening a tape web to the periphery of a rotat- 8 able polygon-a1 Wheel having a plurality of alternating edge surfaces and corners spaced about the periphery thereof;

(B) rotating said polygonal wheel (1) to wrap said tape web about at least a portion of the periphery thereof, and

(2) to dispose one said edge surface with tape thereon in position for placement of said tape on said article;

(C) severing said tape web on at least one said corner adjacent said one edge surface to provide a strip of tape thereon; and

(D) relatively moving said polygonal wheel with said strip of tape thereon toward said article to bring said strip into contact with said article and transfer said strip of tape from said polygonal wheel to said article.

12. A method as defined in claim 11 wherein successive articles are sequentially positioned adjacent said polygonal wheel and wherein the group of steps comprising (B), (C), and (D) is repeated sequentially to transfer a strip of tape from each successive edge surface of said polygonal wheel to each successive article.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,648,382 8/1953 Dewyer 53389X 3,387,542 6/1968 Gartner 9336.9X 1,5 34,007 4/ 1925 LaBombarde. 1,565,167 12/1925 LaBombarde 93-41 1,574,019 2/ 1926 Bergstein 93-41 1,993,205 3/1935 Bowersock 9341 X 2,068,163 1/1937 Bowersock 93-41 2,495,389 1/1950 Sammann 225-16X 3,106,630 10/1963 Klamp. 3,175,744 3/1965 Sumida 225-39 FOREIGN PATENTS 471,403 2/ 1951 Canada.

WAYNE A. MORSE, JR, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

